ERCC5 and cancer: Within the context of this study, we postulate that as cancer creates a cellular environment of increased oxidative stress and DNA damage, certain polymorphisms in ERCC5 may decrease a survivor’s ability to repair damage and remove reactive oxygen species, placing an already vulnerable brain at even higher risk for damage (Conroy et al. 2012; Joshi et al. 2005; Kasapović et al. 2010; Walker et al. 2012; Finkel and Holbrook 2000).